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The Trashed Sweet Potato: smoked sweet potato with the works

I just recently started liking sweet potatoes, specifically smoked sweet potatoes. I had this weird aversion to them as a kid, but as an adult, I’m finding (as with other foods) that I’m liking them much more.

This particular recipe is sure to be an autumn classic; to top it off, it’s vegetarian, so your less-carnivorous friends will certainly be able to enjoy this. It makes use of apples, onions, and green peppers to make the topping, and we applied some food science from our friends at America’s Test Kitchen to get the most flavor out of the sweet potato.

The Origin

This is another recipe inspired by the Acquisitions Intoxicated Twitch show. The Penny Arcade crew designed a beer for Holly Conrad’s character, Stryx the Trash Witch. (Go listen to the podcast here and here, and watch her at PAX West to see how awesome she is with this character and cosplay.) The beer, a monstrous Imperial Stout (and I mean “monstrous” in a complimentary way) lends itself to pairing with a more rustic plate. As Holly is vegetarian, I went that route with this recipe, and the Trashed Sweet Potato was born.

The Science

The trick to getting the best flavor out of the sweet potato is to allow it to cook at a near-boiling temperature for some time so that the water held inside evaporates, and the flavors have time to condense into a complex, caramelesque pallet. As with most things on a smoker, this will take some time, but the wait will be well worth it.

Crank It Up

If you want to elevate this to another level, season the apples and onions with Saint Brian’s BBQ Zombie Blend spice rub prior to grilling. The Caribbean jerk spices will really brighten up the flavors, and will add another layer of complexity to the whole dish.

Print Recipe

Smoked Sweet Potato: a loaded, smoked sweet potato for the ages

A sweet potato, smoked to perfection, and loaded with a tasty apple hash

Combine the water and salt in a bowl and stir until the salt is mostly dissolved. (Slightly warming the water will help with this process.)

Prick the sweet potatoes 3 times with a fork, turn a quarter turn, and repeat until you've pricked it 12 times. Roll the potatoes in the brine.

Place the sweet potatoes on the smoker, and insert a remote probe into one of them. Add your desired wood to start creating smoke. (For this recipe, I used pecan.) The goal here is to get the sweet potatoes to 200 degrees internal temperature (this takes about 2 hours), and then hold them there for an hour.

Core and slice the apples into 1/2" slices. Peel the outer skin off of the onion, and slice into 1/2" rings, keeping the cross section of the onions intact.

Heat your grill or barbecue to high, and set up for direct grilling. Oil the grates, and place the apple slices, onion slices, and bell peppers on the grill. Cook apples and onions until just they just start to caramelize, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the peppers until the skin blisters, turning to get an even cook on all sides.

Finely mince the peppers and onion. Finely chop the apples. Toss in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste.

When the sweet potatoes have been smoked at 200 degrees internal temperature for one hour, remove them and immediately cut a "x" into the top. This will allow the steam to escape and prevent the flesh from getting waterlogged and soggy.

After allowing the sweet potatoes to cool for 10 minutes, gently open the skin some more so that there is exposed flesh and a place for the hash. Spoon the hash onto the flesh, and sprinkle on the Gruyere. Place back on the grill for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot.

I love macaroni and cheese. It’s comfort food. It’s great on a rainy, fall day. It’s great as a midnight snack.

This recipe takes the normal recipe for macaroni and cheese (cook macaroni, add cheese, devour) and adds some additional elements: 4 different cheeses, plus a kiss of wood smoke. If you haven’t had smoked mac ‘n cheese yet, well, I just feel sorry for you. You clearly aren’t living your best life.

Cook the elbow macaroni al dente, according to the package instructions. Pour the macaroni into a foil pan or a similar receptacle that can survive your smoker.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the milk, and bring to a boil. Add the cream cheese, and melt, whisking often, until sauce is creamy.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Immediately stir in the shredded cheeses, and adding salt and pepper to taste. You must move quickly here, as if you take too long, the sauce will become very difficult to work with as it cools.

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat evenly. Pour the bread crumbs on top, forming an even layer.

Place the pan, uncovered, into the smoker, and add your desired wood chips. (For this recipe, I used a combination of pecan and whiskey barrel chips.) Smoke for 30-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbly.

Smoked Pork Belly Chili: the crown jewel of autumn

Rain has plagued your journey down the Long Road. For days, you have slogged along, some days in a light mist, others a torrent that almost obscured your hand before your face. The air carried a constant chill. The brilliantly colored leaves stood in stark contrast against a slate sky. When you finally found shelter and a warm fire, a bowl of delicious smoked pork belly chili was waiting for you. Your bones were warmed; the journey was worth it for this savory bite.

This dish is meant to be shared, as it yields over a dozen cups. It’s perfect for tailgating, or sharing with friends while sessioning some new microbrews.

For the beer in this pork belly chili, I used Elysium Immortal IPA, though you could substitute just about any beer you want. Please, for the love of little apples, use good beer, preferably a local microbrew or respected brewery. Don’t subject your food, mouth, or liver, to bad beer.

Cut diagonal slits through the skin on the pork belly, 1" apart, then cut intersecting slits at the same spacing so that you create an "X" pattern. Take care not to cut into the fat. This is to allow the rub to penetrate more of the meat.

Cover the pork belly with the Spice Rub.

Heat your smoker to 250 degrees. If your setup includes some kind of liquid pan, add 2 bottles of beer (these are over and above the beer called for in the recipe). Put the pork belly in the smoker, and add the wood of your choice, according to the smoker instructions.

Smoke the pork belly until it reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat, and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.

While the pork belly is smoking

Prepare your other ingredients.

Once the pork has completed its rest

Chop the pork belly up into 1/2" chunks.

In a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the pork belly. Cook until the fat renders and the pork belly has browned, about 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork. Add some salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Add the peppers and the onions. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until onions start to become translucent and begin to brown.

Add the garlic. With a spoon, push the ingredients in the pot to the sides to expose the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the beer to deglaze the pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits off the bottom. Redistribute the ingredients and stir. Cook until the beer has reduced by about half.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and beans. Return to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium low. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste along the way, and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Mix the water, masa harina, and chili powder into a thick paste.

When the chili has cooked down, slowly add in the masa harnina paste. This will start tot thicken the chili.

If you desire thicker chili, start adding in the corn starch 1 teaspoon at a time and stirring in, allowing to incorporate. Take your time with this, as if you add too much in, the chili can get too thick.

Cut the tops off of the rolls, and carefully dig out the insides, taking care not to pierce the outside of the crust.

Heat your grill to high. (If you don't have a grill handy, you can use a broiler with the shelf set to the highest placement.) Place the bread, hole side down, on the grill (or facing up if using the broiler). Toast the roll.

Fill the bread bowls with chili. Add a few pieces of plucked cilantro, and a teaspoon of sour cream. Squeeze a 1/8" slice of lime onto the chili. Add cheese, if desired.

Thanks for requesting a complimentary consult for our private chef services. We certainly hope that we will be able to find a cost-effective solution to help you free up more time to spend with your family and pursue your passions, all while letting you eat good food.

As promised, here is your bonus recipe. Chicken wings are an easy food to prep and cook, but also easy to overcook. Follow the steps below to get amazing wings, every time.

Using a sharp knife, separate the wing flats from the drumsticks. You will be able to feel where the bones join; this is where you should insert the knife, and you should be able to slice through. Cut the wing tip off of the flat, and dispose of the tip.

Put the wings in a large, non-reactive bowl, and toss with the sea salt. Add enough water to cover the wings. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Remove the wings from the brine solution, and dispose of the brine. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel,

Preheat your grill to high (500-600 degrees Fahrenheit).

Toss the wings with the Saint Brian's Spice Rub until coated.

Oil the grill grates. Place the wings on the grill, and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. The wings will release easily from the grill when they are ready to flip. If you need to scrape under them with the spatula, then they aren't finished cooking on that side.

Flip the wings once, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through. The meat will feel firm to the touch, and the internal temperature on an instant read thermometer will be 165 degrees.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve with Saint Brian's Barbecue Sauces for dipping.

Why limit your choice of meat to one, when you can have two?

Once again in the Acquisitions Intoxicated trend (you can catch this show on the Penny Arcade Twitch channel, Tuesdays at 3:00 pm EST), the Why Not Both Sandwich combines the forces of Cornish Game Hen with bratwurst, and tempers the savoriness with a quick pickled slaw. We promise to use this power for good, not evil.

The Why Not Both Sandwich goes off of this by combining a lovely grilled bratwurst, Cornish game hen (because I couldn’t find any doves, and pigeons are hard to catch), and quick pickled slaw for some acidity to act as a counter note to the savoriness of this sandwich.

One last line of credit goes to the one, the only, the indomitable Jerry Holkins, aka Tycho Brahe, aka Omin Dran, for naming this bad boy.

6 steps to an awesome dish

Grilled Cornish game hen is a real crowd-pleaser. It may taste like chicken, but the presentation possibilities can really elevate a meal; imagine serving each of your guests their own bird, plated perfectly. Cool, right?

Preheat your grill to high (500-600 degrees Fahrenheit) and set up for direct grilling.

Using your hands, combine the butter and spice rub in a bowl until combined.

With your finger, gently separate the skin from the meat along the breasts and legs, taking care not to break the skin.

Take half of the butter and spice mixture and form into a ball. Place the ball under the skin. Holding the opened end of the skin down so that the butter doesn't come back out, use the skin to push the butter over the breasts and legs. Rub the remainder of the butter on the inside of the cavity.

Place the game hen on the grill, and cook with the lid down for about 20 minutes. It's best to use a thermometer probe to monitor the internal temperature, as these birds cook fast. Cook until the internal temp on the breasts is 165 degrees.

With the savory flavors of grilling and barbecue often being the primary, and sometimes overpowering, flavor note, having something on the acidic side, such as this quick pickled slaw, can cut the richness with a counterpoint that enhances the flavor. It seems counter-intuitive, I know, but having a balance of flavors highlights the flavor notes on all sides, and keeps the food from becoming overwhelming.

This week, they brewed a black IPA called WarPriest. When I asked what food would pair well with the finished product, they said a burger, and “meat”. The result is the War Hammer: beef, chorizo, prosciutto, bacon, and a fried egg with Zombie Punch Sauce (cause a cleric’s burger should be able to turn the undead).

I’ll be honest, I got the meat sweats while eating it. I’ve decided that this is a “sometimes” burger.

See my question and Eric’s answer for pairings at the 35:25 minute mark below. Adult language.

Properly preparing food prior to it going into a smoker or on the grill is of the utmost importance. There are many methods, but at the core is either brining or marinating before applying heat. This not only imparts flavor, it also ensures that your food doesn’t dry out over the course of a long time in the dry heat of a smoker. Properly marinating or brining your meat before cooking is the difference between dry, tough meat, and melt-in-your-mouth, fall-apart meat.

How does it work? While scientists do not have a consensus for what the exact chemical reaction is, the gist of it is that by using one of these methods that salt gets drawn into the food and help trap water, as salt is hydrophilic.

So, what are the options?

On the wet side of things:

Brining: This is the process of soaking your food in a solution of water and salt (I prefer to use sea salt, but really any salt will work). You will need a vessel large enough to contain your food and enough water to submerge it. Generally, I use a ratio of 1 cup of salt for every half gallon of water, but you can adjust this based on your taste. The upside to this method is that it is super easy (and relatively inexpensive). The downside is that you need to have a larger vessel for larger items, such as turkeys or pork shoulder, and you need to find room in the fridge if you intend to brine it for more than 30 minutes. Larger cuts should brine for longer, so this can be problematic. A bucket full of water and meat can also be very heavy.

Marinating: The same process as brining, only using other flavors as well. This can be as simple as buying a bottle of marinade off the shelf, or making one of your own; either are valid options. Get your food coated in the marinade, allow to soak for at least 30 minutes (again, larger cuts of meat will take longer). This could be a good use for one of the Saint Brian’s BBQ sauces; a friend of mine soaks beef roasts in Sweet Victory prior to slow cooking them. The result: a super-flavorful dish that melts in your mouth.

In either case, make sure to rise off any excess liquid before cooking so that the food isn’t over seasoned, and in the case of a marinade to get the sugars off so that they don’t burn. Also, discard any of the liquid remaining after you take the meat out, as it is not safe for consumption.

On the dry side:

Dry Brine: coat the entire outer surface of the meat with kosher or sea salt. And I mean cover it. Not a light sprinkling. Wrap it in plastic wrap or seal it in a resealable plastic bag, and allow it to sit overnight. This will perform the same function as a wet brine, only without the need of a bucket and water. It’s a space saver. Be sure to brush off the excess salt (or even rinse it lightly) to prevent the food from tasting too salty when you cook it. A variation on this is the Salt Roasted Chicken recipe we just posted the other week.

Dry Rub: a staple of the barbecue community. Every pitmaster has his or her own secret blend of spices (I’m partial to Dash Cunning Rub myself) that they slather onto the meat for a few hours before cooking. My personal preference is to leave it on when I throw ribs or pork shoulder into the smoker; it forms an amazing, flavorful crust over the hours it spends smoking. Why does this work with a rub, as opposed to a dry brine? Less salt over all.

No pitmaster worth their salt wants the taste of lighter fluid in their food, and that’s exactly what you get when you use it to start your fire and when you use match light charcoal (which is essentially charcoal soaked in lighter fluid). Stop it! Light your coals the right way:

Only use natural lump charcoal. (If you are feeling especially creative and motivated, you can make your own.)

Use a chimney starter:

Put a pile of coals in your barbecue, smoker, or fire pit

Load more coal into a chimney starter

Put 2 pieces of crumpled up newspaper in the bottom of the starter

Place the chimney on your grill, or some other fire-proof location

Light the paper

The chimney will naturally draw the fire up into the coals and light them. When they are all lit, you can pour them on top of the pile of charcoal in your cooker and your’ll be ready to go.